Bellows-actuated fountain painting device



May 7, 1963 v. J. RALPH BELLOWS-ACTUATED FOUNTAIN PAINTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1959 FIG. I

United States Patent 3,088,159 BELLGWS-ACTUATED FOUNTAIN PAINTING DEVICE Vernon James Ralph, 9 Oldfield Road, Seven Hills, New South Wales, Australia Filed Aug. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 835,164 1 Claim. (Ql. 15-543) This invention relates to a device which is adapted to supply a painting medium, such as paint, varnish etc. (hereinafter called the painting medium) in a controlled and uniform flow to a surface that it is desired to paint.

It is Well known to apply a painting medium to a surface by means of a paint brush. The paint brush is held in the hand and when it is required to apply more paint to the bristles of the brush, the brush is dipped in a tin of the painting medium. Any excessive paint that may be covering the bristles is then scraped off on the side of the tin. This method has the disadvantage that considerable time is wasted in dipping the paint brush in the tin of the painting medium, then scraping off any excessive paint and then returning the brush to the surface being painted.

It is also known to have a paint brush where the painting medium is supplied to the bristles by a tube or spreader. However, the tube or spreader extends only a short distance into the mass of bristles. The disadvantange of this method is that the painting medium does not flow freely and uniformly to the tips of the bristles where the painting medium actually contacts the surface being painted. With this type of painting device it has been found necessary to provide a lip at the binding of the brush to prevent the painting medium flowing back over the handle of the brush.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome these disadvantages.

Also hitherto the painting medium has been delivered to the tube or spreader generally from a pressurised container containing the painting medium.

It is another object of the present invention to provide improved means for delivering the painting medium to the paint brush.

The present invention is an improved painting device comprising a paint brush wherein a duct or ducts is or are incorporated in the mass of bristles of the brush, said duct or ducts extending to within a short distance from the tips of the bristles, and having means to control the flow of the painting medium to the duct or ducts.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings where FIGURE 1 is an elevation in partial section of an embodiment or part of the invention.

IGURE 2 is a section along a line AA in FIGURE 1.

"FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of part of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the applicator-brush part of the invention with a portion of the bristles broken away.

A conventional paint brush 1 has ducts 2 extending into the mass of bristles 3. The ducts 2 extend to a short distance from the tips of the bristles so that the painting medium is most effectively applied to the surface being painted. The ducts 2 are made of flexible plastic tubing and are inserted into short plastic tubes 4a, which in turn extend over the ends of short metal tubes 4. The tubes 4 are joined to a T tube 5 which extends down the handle of the brush 1. A flexible tube 6 is secured to the tube 5.

In FIGURE 1 an inlet tube 7 conveys the painting medium from a container 8 shown in FIG. 3. An air inlet is provided at 9a. Shoulder straps (not shown in ice the drawings) can be fitted to the container 8 so that it can be carried on the operators back or hip. A ball valve 9 prevents any flow of the painting medium back to the container. Slots 10 allow the painting medium to pass into a passage 11 in a fixed member 12 and then into a bulb 13. A passage 14 conveys the painting medi-um to the upper part of a chamber 15'. A sliding member 16, preferably made from a heavy metal, slides within this chamber.

A ball valve 17 and seat 18 are located at one end of the passage 14. The distance the sliding member 16 can move in the chamber 15 is so arranged that the ball valve 17 can not altogether leave the seat 18. An outlet tube 19 is located in the upper part of the chamber '15 for conveying the painting medium to the paint brush. The upper part of the sliding member 16 is tapered so that the outlet 19 is not covered should the sliding member 16 tip to one side.

The invention is operated by holding the bulb 13 in one hand and the brush 1 in the other hand. By squeezing the bulb 13 and then releasing it, any air in the bulb is expelled and replaced by the painting medium due to the creation of a partial vacuum. Alternate squeezing and releasing causes the painting medium to pass to the extremities of the ducts 2 where it oozes at the tips of the bristles. The painting medium is then applied to the surface in the usual manner and the bulb is squeezed gently or hard in accordance with the volume of paint that is required. By drawing the brush quickly over and just touching the surface the paint is ejected at maximum volume and is easily brushed to an even coat. In this fashion even porous surfaces may be quickly painted.

When the painting operation is finished the bulb 13 can be used to force any remaining painting medium from the system. If desired a cleaning fluid can be used to thoroughly cleanse the system.

The flow control means according to the embodiment of FIGURES 1 and 2 operates by squeezing and releasing the bulb 13 which creates a partial vacuum drawing painting medium in through tube 7 after ball valve 9 opens. By squeezing the bulb again painting medium passes up passage 14 opening ball valve 17. Ball valve 9 closes. The bulb is held with the chamber 15 pointing downwardly so that the sliding member 16 allows the ball valve 17 to open. The painting medium can then pass out the outlet 19 to the ducts of the paint brush. The flow of the painting medium can be quickly stopped by tilting the bulb and chamber upright so that the sliding member 16 rests on the ball valve 17 thus preventing any further flow of the painting medium. Also when the bulb is placed upright on the ground or floor any further flow of painting medium by gravity is prevented by the sliding member 16 resting on the ball valve 17.

It is preferred that the bulb 13 has a Concertina side wall 20 so that the bottom of the bulb can be depressed to send a quantity of the painting medium into the upper part of the chamber 15. When viscous painting mediums are used it is preferable to use a spring 21 secured to the side of the bulb so that after the bottom of the bulb has been depressed it is automatically returned to its original position. Instead of the spring 21 a helical spring (not shown in the drawings) may be inserted inside the bulb, one end abutting the fixed member 12, the other end abutting the bottom of the bulb. The spring 21 can be detachably secured to the bulb as shown at 22 and 23. When the spring 21 is not required it can be removed.

I claim:

An improved painting device comprising a paint brush having an attached mass of bristles wherein a plurality of ducts are incorporated, said ducts extending to with- 3 in a short distance of the tips of said bristles, said ducts being so positioned that a painting medium ejects from the ducts directly on a surface being painted, means to supply said painting medium to" said ducts in a con= trolled flow, said means comprising a flexible bulb so designed and-positionedas to be held in the hand of a person using the painting device, a hollow chamber mounted on said bulb, said chamber comprising a fixed member and a sliding member, said fixed member having an inlet passage formed therein so positioned as to convey said painting medium into said bulb, a ball valve in said inlet passage, radially projecting passages in the seat of said ball valve so' positioned as to permit a flow of said painting medium into and through said inlet passage, an exit passage so positoned as to convey the painting medium to an upper portion of said hollow chamber, a ball V81V6'i1'l1531d' exit passage, said sliding member being so weighted andpositioned as.to close said ball valve in said exit passage by means of gravity when said hollow chamber is in an upright position, said 4 sliding member engaging said ball valve in such a manner as to prevent anyflow of said painting medium while said chamber remains upright unless said bulb is squeezed, said sliding member being operatively mounted so as to prevent said exit passage ball valve from totally escaping from its valve seat when said hollow chamber is in an inverted position but stillallowing flow around said exit passage ball valve while in said inverted position,

and an outlet tube is said hollow chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 141,522 Thompson Aug. 5, 1873 1,465,856 Marsh Aug. 21, 1923 1,968,891 Johnson Aug. 7, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 560,908 France Oct. 12, 1923 

